Process of making matches.



UNiTnn STATES ATENT Trice,

SOREN LEMVIG FOG AND AAGE GEORG KIRSCHNER, OF COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

PROCESS OF MAKING MATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,882, dated June 25,1901.

Application fil d December 5,1898. Serial No. 698,247. (No specimens.)

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, SoREN LEMVIG Foe and AAGE GEORG KIRSOHNER, subjectsof the King of Denmark, residing at Copenhagen, in the Kingdom ofDenmark, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Proccasesof Making Matches, (for which we have applied for patents in Norway,dated November 5, 1898; in France, datedNovember 4, 1898; in Belgium,dated November 3, 1898; in Italy, dated November 4, 1898; in Sweden,dated November 2, 1898; in Denmark, dated October 31, 1898; in England,dated November 1, 1898, and in Russia, dated October 29, 1898,) of whichthe following is a specification.

The methods hitherto employed for the production of matches free fromphosphorus consist in the use of cold solutions containing a mixture ofchlorate of potassium, sulfur, antimony sulfate, powdered glass orquartz, salts of ammonia, peroxid of manganese, and the like, togetherwith some cementitious material, into which solutions the matches aredipped, and the mixture adheres to the eX- ternal surface of the match.All matches made with such compositions, whatever their nature, have hadto be saturated with paraffin or similar hydrocarbon, as without suchmeans they would ignite at the moment of being struck, but would notcontinue to burn.

Now this invention has for its object a process in which chlorates areemployed in a more convenient manner and preferably without anyadmixture for the manufacture of matches. Various chlorates may beusedfor instance, chlorate of sodium or of potassium, &c.but bariumchlorate has proved most suitable.

According to the present process matches are made as follows: The endsof the readycut wood or sticks of cellulose or the like are put into thesame horizontal plane by means of a shaking apparatus in the usualmanner and made into bundles containing any desired number, so that theseveral sticks touch, (in contradistinction to the method ordinarilyemployed in match-factories, in which the several matches are set at alittle distance apart,) and are then immersed in a preferablyboiling-hot and preferably concentrated solution of the chlorate orchlorates used. At ordinary pressures this solution has a tempera tureof about 100 to 111 centigrade, according to the degree to which it isconcentrated. The process may also be carried out under pressure or inracuo in closed receivers, in which case the temperatures will varyaccordingly.

Matches made with chlorate of calcium tend to absorb water, andtherefore deteriorate. If a solution of chlorate of sodium alone beused, the matches ignite upon being rubbed upon a suitably-preparedsurface with such an eX- plosive force that the impregnated part of thematch may fly off and the remaining part of the match not be ignited atall. Chlorate ofsodiu m, moreover, is hygroscopic, although not sostrongly so as chlorate of calcium.

Chlorate of potassium is not sufficiently solu ble in water. If,therefore, chlorate of potassium were used alone in the present process,sufficient salt would not readily be taken up by the wood. Chlorate ofpotassium being cheaper than chlorate of barium would be preferable wereit not for these drawbacks; but it may be used in conjunction with thechlorate of barium.

Chlorate of barium is sufficiently soluble in water, so that sufficientsalt is absorbed by the wood. Moreover, it is not hygroscopic, but hasthe great advantage that it loses part of its water of crystallizationwhen stored, so that matches made with chlorate of barium improve bybeing kept. Furthermore, chlo rate of barium possesses the advantageover chlorate of sodium that the matches made with it do not igniteexplosively and the wood has time to become ignited.

These matches are intended for use with prepared striking-surfaces, suchas are used with Swedish matches.

If the sticks were dry at the time of being immersed, it might happenthat the solution of chlorate or chlorates would be absorbed too far upthe sticks; but to prevent this and to exactly determine the height towhich impregnation takes place the sticks are preferably saturated withwater before immersion. By the length of time during which the immersionis continued and the depth of immersion of the sticks the extent ofimpregnation can then be exactly predetermined. At-

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ter drying and the crystallization that takes place during the same, andafter removal of the superfluous salt adhering to the surface, thesticks are perfectly ready for use and present an almost smooth surface.

Matches produced in this manner may be impregnated at one end only or atboth ends. In the former case it is well to mark the impregnated end bycoloring it.

We claim 1. The process of preparing matches consisting in impregnatinga permeable matchstick With Water and subsequently immersing the portionof the stick in a heated aqueous solution containing essentially bariumchlorate and thereafter drying it.

soREN LEMVIe Foe. AAGE enone KIRSGHNER.

\Vitnesses:

C. BLEEHINGBERG, R. VoLKHoLz.

